Racing Weekly: Horse Racing news round-up - April 27th 2026

Races Now's Harry Fowler keeps you abreast of all the key talking points in British horse racing with his new Racing Weekly column.

Sandown Park racing review - April 24th/ 25th 2026

Looking back at last weekend's action, Sandown took centre stage with an incredible flat card, while the season finale jumps meeting on Saturday proved underwhelming.

Friday was headlined by what I'd have to conclude the best Group 2 event I have seen.

All the talk in the lead up was Zeus Olympios versus Field Of Gold, but it was a truly stacked field. Indeed, Opera Ballo landed what we cannot call a shock – particularly as there has always been a feeling that he could be top class – though at times he has been his own worst enemy. He had two runs in Meydan, so did have the fitness edge over his rivals, but giving 2lbs to Zeus Olympios and 5lbs to Field Of Gold looked a tough task on paper.

The winner bounced out of the gates and, rather than trying to settle him in midfield as had been unsuccessfully attempted a few times last season, William Buick let him bowl along in front. The jockey deserves credit, as it looked a perfect ride from the outset. That is by no means to say the winner was lucky or stole the race, though.

Opera Ballo is now looking to go to France for the Prix Aga Khan IV. Both Zeus Olympios and Field Of Gold still appear on target for the Newbury Lockinge, though they will have a new Godolphin rival in Notable Speech, which makes that race another mouthwatering prospect so early in the season.

I do have a feeling that the bookmakers may have slightly overreacted in terms of Zeus Olympios. He is currently 6/1 for the Lockinge, and that is the camp I am in at this stage. He is a lightly raced four-year-old who I think will have come on a great deal for that Sandown run.

Another of the Group races we had to enjoy on Friday was the Gordon Stakes, which only had five runners but was still an intriguing affair.

Saddadd came out on top and looks one that will have a big year ahead, with this being his clear career best and only his seventh race. In behind, King Of Cities finished second on his first run for Karl Burke, and I expect we will be seeing plenty more of him this season.

The final Group race of Friday was the Classic Trial, with plenty of big talking horses battling to boost their Derby credentials.

Action was the very well backed 4/6 favourite but was slowly away and never really looked comfortable. I think we will see a better performance from him on softer ground. The winner was Shadwell's Raaheeb, a full brother to Baaeed and Hukum. He looks to have a very bright future, although I would not rush to back him for the Derby after connections did not seem too keen on running him at a track like Epsom.

Moving on to Saturday, and before recapping Sandown, there were two races of note in Ireland.

The first was a Listed race over six furlongs, and it was all about Charles Darwin, who looks set to head towards the Commonwealth Cup. The most intriguing aspect of the Albert Einstein situation is how adamant O'Brien was about making him a miler rather than a sprinter. That may say something about just how good Charles Darwin is, as there is little point having two top horses from the same yard competing against each other.

The second was a Listed race over one mile and six furlongs – a race that Kyprios has won in recent years. This year it was taken by Scandinavia, who appears to be Aidan O'Brien's Cup horse. They are two nice prospects, and hopefully we will see them both make their intended targets at the Royal meeting.

There were three graded races at Sandown over the jumps on Saturday, the feature of which was the Grade 1 Celebration Chase, which took a hit on the morning with the news that Jonbon was a non-runner.

The race was won by the 12-year-old Edwardstone. It was nice to see the veteran getting his head in front at the top level again, but sadly, the race was overshadowed by the tragic loss of Thistle Ask.

The race prior was the Grade 2 Oaksey Chase, another disappointingly weak affair. Blow Your Wad was a short priced favourite for this type of event, but it looked as though he may have had one run too many this season and was not quite at his best. Doyen Quest was the victor, making all the running and taking his trainer's prize money tally to over £5million for the campaign.

The final race was the Grade 2 Select Hurdle, which also produced a disappointing field, especially with Kabral Du Mathan declared a non-runner. It developed into a Nicky Henderson contest, and Jingko Blue confirmed the New Year's Day form with Lucky Place to win by three lengths.

All in all, you'd have to conclude the jumps finale was a disappointing affair. But given the situation with the trainers championship, perhaps that was inevitable. All roads lead to the flat now with some fantastic early-season action to enjoy over the coming weeks – none more so than the 2,000 and 1,000 Guineas this coming weekend.

Bring it on!